Monday, January 2, 2012

VICTORIA SANDWICH - A GUEST POST FOR SIA AT "MONSOON SPICE"

I haven’t been following Sia’s site for very long (only a few months), but the little time I have spent on her swell blog has only been placed under the sign of pure enchantment and discovery. Her fragrant dishes look delectable, are always so exotic sounding and a real novelty to me, and the pictures, although free of useless frilly embellishment, are pretty, moody, luminous, colorful and reflect the creator’s straightforwardness. A true breath of fresh air and an awesome source for meat-free Indian recipes. I love everything about the poetically named “Monsoon Spice”. So, the day Sia asked me to write a guest post for her, I was overcome with joy and so thrilled at the prospect of appearing on her truly brilliant space!

This statuesque young woman and mum of one was born and brought up in a beautiful coastal city of Mangalore in the Southern Indian state of Karnataka where she was introduced, at a very tender age, to authentic and traditional Indian cuisine by her grandmother, mother and half a dozen aunties in a typical Indian joint family. Six years ago, when she moved to the UK with her husband, her passion for food and culinary knowledge started to grow increasingly.

After a hectic beginning as a cook, numerous SOS phone calls to her mother, a lot of panicking, a few burning accidents and a lot of running around like a headless chicken trying to find her notes, Sia decided to create a site where she would catalogue all her recipes and findings online. That's how “Monsoon Spice” saw the light of day in 2006.

Her husband K. is her main inspiration and motivation behind her blog as he eats what she cooks, but is also her food critic and sous-chef. With the arrival of her son P. she is all the more inspired to cook fresh and healthy food that is strongly rooted in their Indian culture and traditions.

Having been asked to come up with something vegetarian and considering the fact that Sia is an inhabitant of the country of my roots (actually I have a dual nationality – I’m Anglo-Swiss), I thought that it would be a wonderful idea if I presented a delicacy on which my English mother has raised me and which occupies a special place in my heart: “Victoria Sandwich” (also called “Victoria Sponge”).

I am incredibly happy to share my fetish recipe as well as my memories with you here and I wish to warmly thank Sia for opening the doors of her platform to me. It is an honor to know you and to have my work hosted by such a fabulous blogger like you!

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I’ve always cherished my British heritage as well as Great Britain’s uniquely comforting and regional cuisine. It has a sentimental value to me as it reminds me of my beloved Nan and Pop who passed away a short while ago. Now that both my grandparents have gone on to glory and I have no family nor pied-à-terre left there anymore, I tend to venerate anything that hails from this gloriously green island in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Whenever I feel nostalgic of England and need to uplift my soul, this incomparably ambrosial, moist and featherlight torte always brings a smile to my lips and tempers my sadness. It has this marvelously soothing granny-style flavor that never fails to bring back fond remembrances of the unforgettable moments spent in the company of my grandma and grandpa during my childhood summer holidays in Warwickshire (Stratford-Upon-Avon) and Derbyshire (Belper).

“I'm not a total dead loss as a woman. I can't knit or make plum jam but I can bake a bloody victoria sponge.” - Chris, “Calendar Girls”.

My grandmother Jean was a talented home cook and baker who had the gift for baking a mean “Victoria Sandwich” along with exquistely fluffy scones (amongst other things) on the occasion of friends’ visit. As any honorable English person, those were invariably accompanied by a nice cuppa and some cheerful chatting - something the people of this archipelago do to perfection.
I also remember seeing the generous array of mouthwatering and tempting cakes that were magnificently put on display in the quaint Peak District tearooms we went to. In such magical places, it is difficult to remain unmoved, especially if you are a voracious little girl (or grownup, to that matter) with an insatiable appetite for rich, floury goodies decorated with thick layers of icing/frosting and mountains of whipped cream. Pa-ra-dise! [...]

So, if that short introduction made your mouth water and your tastebuds tingle, tickled your curiosity, captivated your attention and gave you the urge to read my article, then please hop on over to "Monsoon Spice" in order to read the whole article, get a glimpse of my pictures, discover my recipe and have a look at Sia's great site.

Lovely guest post Rosa! Victoria cake is one of my MANY weaknesses lol and it is surely one of the first cakes all British learn to make! I was told that the portions of ingredients in this cake should be of equal weight. I like your recipe since you used butter instead of margarine and regular flour instead of self-raising flour. Thanks for sharing this precious recipe of you grandmother Jean!Cheers and Happy New Year my friend!

This is what the British do so well - civilized tea with just sweet enough but never overboard. What a beauty! Thanks for the intro to Sia's site - it is indeed lovely. Left a comment - not sure if it took. This is one lovely way to begin 2012.

What a fabulous plum gateau! The photos are phenomenal! As always, you gave us an extremely talented guest poster with gorgeous photos! Pure eye candy! Thanks for introducing us to Sia! Happy 2012 to you both!

Rosa, many, many thanks for gracing my virtual kitchen with your beautiful clicks, wonderful recipe and lovely narration. You never fail to inspire and surprise me with your unique posts and this post just reminded me why I am hooked to your blog :) wishing u and ur loved ones a very happy new year! xoxo

What a beautiful cake. I can think of only YOU who can make this kind of cake and take great pictures of it. Happy New Year Rosa! It was great to meet you last year and I sincerely look for your new posts this year!

I've had this cake in England while visiting friends and it's fabulous! Yours looks so delicious and your photos are always top-notch. Have a lovely weekend. Missed your great clicks in BWW this past Wednesday.

Victoria sponge is one of those recipes that is just so rewarding to make at home, even if you are lucky enough to live in England. The idea behind it is simple and glutton, unfortunately the realisation is often not the best one. Your pictures are so mouthwatering, as usual.

Dearest Rosa, What a sweet post about your grandmother and this delicious cake! Looks absolutely scrumptious-- That slice is making me drool...I could eat that right now :) Now, heading over the other site!

I d love a piece of your torte. simply devine! I know how u feel... I am frightend to loose my roots in france too, since my mamie died and my grandpa will not live forever, and I havents been there for over 5 years. Its never easy I guesse.

Wow... Simply, wow. Cakes like these are my absolute favourite. Simple, humble but minimalistic. My favourite things when it comes to flavours or presentation. You're so talented, always a joy to read what you cook next in your kitchen. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication towards your blog! I know you may feel worn out sometimes, but I hope you know we really, really do appreciate your efforts and everything you've poured into it. Take care, Rosa!!

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